The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-20

DAVID JOHNSON.
Superintendent Mississippi State Penitel
tiary.
Ordered. that the accounts of Ho
David johnson, Superintendent OF the Pc,
etentiary, for fifty seven and 4O-1o
dollars, from July LIST to July 18th. an
for thirty.niue and 10-l00 dollars IN /
July lst, for travelling expenses INQUIRE
while in the discharge OF his duty. /
approved and the same transcribed in
book kept for that purpose.
Ordered, that the explanatory letter G
Can't. j. A. Hoskins, General Manager o
the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Com
PAW. relative to the condition of the con
yicts at the three camps in the Southern
part Of Harrison county at the time OF tn
recent inspection by the Board of Control
and giving an account of the movement Of
the convicts and Of supplies he provided
for them, be filed as part of the records
Of this Office. The following is the repor
Of Capt. Hoskins:
Report of Jas. A. HoskIns, General
Manager.
Hon. j. T. Sessions, Chairman Board Of Control
Mississippi state Penitentiary, jackson, Miss
DEAR SIR: / left the Penitentiary on tn,
Gth Of January last, with about two hund
red couyicts for Hattiesburg, Miss, where ]
built my camps and commenced grading
ON the 18th, at II o'clock, threw the frs
shovel Of dirt on the grading of the Gull
and Ship Island Railroad. After finishing
about five miles, I moved to Ten Mile
Creek, which is thirty-one miles north OF
Mississippi City, in Harrison county. At
that camp, and the one above, / stayed I'M
Gil the 9Th Of June, when | moved the camp
b. Bayou Barnard, 81 miles north of Mis-
sissippi City, where Camp No. 6 is nov
located. This camp was added to at differ
eut times, until 1t now numbers, after de-
Quoting discharges, pardons, etc, PIT con-
victs. We have never had serious case OF
sickness at that camp until about ---.
and only one death after that date
During May we took from the peniten-
tiary different squads of men, amounting
first and last, from one hundred to one
hundred and twenty, large proportion OF
whom were passed by the Board on in
suection, and marked for light work. A
short Ii ne after the organization of that
camp No. 4, among the convicts brought
from the prisons, the measles broke out,
ard one Of the first cases died. We had.
probably, from 60 TO 20 cases of measles.
over half Of the camp, at different times,
was laid up with this disease and other
sickness of a light type generally; but at
this time, there is not a sick man in that
camp.
1 commenced preparing the camps
for the conyicts brought from the sub
lessees, about the latter part of May.
About the second of June, by some over
sight OF mistake, there we're about sixty
brought from McDonald's camp, and
twentY-six, who started at the same time,
were left at the penitentiary for treatment,
being, as / have since learned, in a very
deplorable condition. l Immediately or
dered the Secretary of the Company to re-
turn and bring all the balance from Nc
Donald's camp, which he did in the next
seven or eight days.
About the last days of May Mr.. Lang
ley was sent to Fisher and Yerger's camp
for all the convicts they had For want of
transportation, they did not arrive at the
camps until about the 9TH or 6th. These
constituted camp No. g. On account of
The measeles in camp No. 4, we did not
send the number of men there that we
would have sent ard for which the camp
was built. The camp having capacity for
IS more men than there was in it, we did
not make a separate hospital in that camp,
it not being needed. As quickly as pos
sible after camp No. 3 was finished, the
hospital to that was finished, as / did at
all the other camps, and everything was
done to make the sick as comfortable as
possible. / had as physician for that camp
DIR. Harry, an excellent physician and of
high standing in his profession, being the
health officer of Harrison county. In pro-
viding and furnishing my dispensary with
Medicines, trusses, etc, and everything
used by the physicians, the order made by
them for all kinds of medicines and such
things as we're needed about the dispen-
sary, was never changed, but enclosed to J..
l.. Lyons, d Co, New Orleans, to be filed,
which was done promptly, the medicines
sent by EXPIRES to Mississippi City, and for
warded to the camp, sometimes at night.
The medicines and appliances for these
two new camps have cost for that time
$4,000 Among other things, / find 10
trusses on the bills, some double, at least
spch as we're required, and a sufficient num-
Der. l have furnished all the vegetables
possible to be obtained, that are usually
used in such cases. Among the food sup
plies furnished, l will name peas, navy
beans, Irish potatoes, string beans, rice,
tomatoes, bread, etc, and for the
sick, milk when wanted have furnishd all
the ice asked for by DR.. Harry daily. Have
used 5000 pounds of canvass hams alone /;
shoulder meat, dry salt meat, bacon, mess
pork, and occasionally beef, are furnished
in sufficient quantities. The men are fur
nished with coffee, unlimited amount of
vinegar of the best kind, molasses with
out stint, sugar, plenty of tobacco; all the
soap necessary is furnished in ample guam
titles whenever needed, and there are an
average of five persons washing for each
camp.
When the convicts we're hired to the sub
lessees they left the prison with full suit
of new penitentiary stripes, or clothing,
with hat and shoes for each convict and
the contract required them to be returned
IN like good order and condition, with
good suit of penitentiary clothing, and hat
and shoes for each convict SO returned.
When they arrived at my camps they were
in a dirty and ragged condition, and to pro-
vide for them had ordered from the Eagle
and Phenix Mills, Columbus, Ga, ten days
ahead, sufficient stripes in lots of two hum
bred suits each, to re-clothe all the convicts
at work on the southern end of the railroad.
1t required time to fill this order, but as
fast as they would ship it to the peniten-
tiary, it was paid for in cash, and the suits
made up and forwarded to me in lots of
two hundred suits each. Pending that
time the Board of Control visited these
camps and found some of the men without
sufficient clothing, for the reasons above
given. At this time they are all well cloth
ed, nearly every suit new, and everything
has been done that ! could devise for thelr
comfort and that money could buy, and now
the camps are in good condition.
In the early part of next week camp No
will be moved north of Barnard Bayou
where good water will be obtained, neal
where the other two camps are, and an
satisfied both from observation and the
opinions of the physicians, that the sick
ness in camp No. 5 is attributable almost
wholly to the unwholesome water +; notwith
standing the water is cold enough and per
fectly clear, the physicians say there Is som'
organic matter in it that is conducive t.
the bad state of health in that camp. Aftel
that time / invite inspection of all thos'
camps by anybody authorized, and am SUR
they will find everything in as good condi
ton as my single camp was the whole TIM
from the 9th of January to the present
Having heard some complaints as to tn
want of devotional exercises furnished tn
convicts, would state that at the time the in
spection was made, ! had no time to pre-
pare for that at the two new camps, bu
camp No 6, from first to last, was furnish
ed with devotional exercises, hardly Sab
bath passing, and even then from un
avoidable circumstances, at which they Oil
not have preaching and general religion
exercises. Often during the week, when
was at that camp, and asked by the convict
II they could have a prayer-meeting a
night, l always gave them an hour for tina
purpose. Their exercises and singing wa
witnessed and heard by the people all roun
the country, who came as far as thirt
miles to hear and see them. On the Sab
bath at which they had preaching. the chi
liens OF Perry and Harrison counties cam
as far as thirty miles round, sometimes
many as one hundred people, TO all c